Apparatus for splicing flexible material, such as web, are well known in the art. In a typical apparatus and method for splicing the ends of webs, the web ends are cut while generally in an overlapping or abutting relations. One end of one of the webs is separated while being conveyed so that the two cut ends to be joined can be maneuvered into abutting or overlapping relations with one another. Splice tape is then applied to the abutting or overlapping ends to form the spliced web.
A problem with existing web splicing operations is that in most continuous web processing machines, the conveyance of webs prior to splicing oftentimes results in misalignment between the web ends. Poor geometric alignment, i.e,. skew 10 and offset (illustrated in FIG. 1), of the spliced webs 102, 104 will invariably produce coating edge registration problems. Illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, are the effects of a misaligned spliced webs 102, 104 and an aligned spliced web on coating registration. One of the most common results of weave is coating registration problems, as shown in FIG. 2. Experience has shown that weave, occurring generally along lateral edge portions of the joined webs, is caused by the lateral motion of a moving web perpendicular to its direction of motion and in the plane defined by the width of the web. Thus, it is generally established that lateral edge weave is induced by splice misalignment (offset and skew). While prior art developments have not addressed the problem of web alignment, there are exists some developments that teach web splicing generally, and in particular, disclose various means of cutting the new and expired webs and then joining of the two webs with, for instance. tape, glue, heat seal for both butt and lap splices. As examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,611 and 4,878,986 each discloses limiting operator intervention in the cutting and joining phase of the splice operation. Neither of these references evinces concern or appreciation for geometric alignment of the new and expired web as a means for resolving the weaving of one web relative to the other prior to splicing.
Therefore, a need persists for an apparatus and method for aligning adjoining ends of webs in (high speed) conveying operations so as to eliminate the possibility of misaligned web segments prior to splicing.